Gas-generating apparatus.



e. OSTEN, GAS GENERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ, 1912.

1,070,721, 'Patnted Aug. 19, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D4 c.

"iUNi GEORGE os'rnn, or PERRY, IOWA.

GAS-GENERATING APPARATUS.

neaarai.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 19, 1%113.

Application filed May 2, 1912. Serial No. 694,674.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE OSTEN, citizen of the United States residing at Perry, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of carbureted water gas, and it is the primary aim of the invention to provide a compact apparatus for the manufacture of this gas, embodying a generator,

means for superheating the vaporized fuel at the time it is mixed with the generated hydrogen, means for initially washing the gas, and a highly efficient scrubber and condenser.

It is an aim of the invention to provide a gas generating apparatus of the class mentioned in which the liquid hydrocarbon which is to constitute the illuminant of the gas will be completely vaporized at the time it is mixed with the generated hydrogen and in which the mixture of vaporized hydrocarbon and hydrogen will be superheated before being passed through the scrubber and condenser, and to the holder.

Another aim of the invention is to provide apparatus for the generation of carbureted water gas, which will require but little attention, save for the regulation of the fuel supply.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following de scription and accompanying drawing, in which the drawing is a vertical longitudinal sectional View therethrough.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

As illustrated in the drawing the apparatus as a whole is inclosed within a shell, the forward wall of which is indicated by the numeral 1, the side walls by the numeral 2, the rear wall by the numeral 3, and the top by the numeral 1. A partition 5 divides the shell near its forward end and this partition forms in conjunction with the forward wall 1 and the side walls 2, a shell within which is contained the coke chamber and the mixing and superheating chamber. This shell is bricked up as at 6 to form the coke chamber which is indicated in general by the numeral 7 and within which is arranged a suitable grate 8 spaced above the bottom of the said chamber. The space bclow the grate 8 of course constitutes an ashpit and is indicated by the numeral 9 and access may be had thereto by the way of a door 10 preferably located at one side of the shell. A door 11 is arranged at the front of the shell and through this door clinkers may be removed. A door 12 is also arranged at the front of the shell near the upper end of the coke chamber 7 and when opened permits of coke being introduced into the said chamber. A number of tiles 13 are arranged in spaced relation at the upper end of the coke chamber and serve to divide this chamber from the mixing and superheating chamber arranged within the upper part of the last mentioned shell and indicated in general by the numeral 14. The sides of the chamber 14 are walled up as shown and arranged within the chamber and supported upon the tiles 13 is a bank 15 of bricks or other Suitable heat-absorbing and retaining elements. As illustrated the bricks 15 are arranged in courses and the bricks of adjacent courses are arranged in staggered relation so that the several courses constitute battles to retard the passage of the generated gases through the chamber in which the bricks are arranged. It will be understood at this point that while the arrangement of the bricks here shown is preferred, they may be arranged in any other suitable manner, if desired.

Means are provided for supplying air under pressure to the ash pit 9 immediately below the grate 8 and into the chamber 14 at the bottom thereof, said means including suitable air supply pipes and independent cutoff valves. The means above mentioned are not illustrated, as they form 110 part of my invention, but a description of the same is necessary in order to insure a clear understanding of the operation of the generator as a whole. Also, for a purpose to be presently explained, a steam-supply pipe 25 is led into the ash-pit 9 directly below the grate 8, and preferably extends across the said ash-pit and is formed at its upper side with openings through which the steam may issue in jets in the direction of the grate, and exteriorly of the pit with a cut-off valve, not shown, which controls the supply of steam through the said pipe.

An opening s8 is provided in the top of the chamber 14 and arranged upon the top of the said chamber and in communication with this opening 28 is a relatively short outlet pipe 29. A weighted valve 30 is supported by one arm 31 of an angle lever which is pivotally mounted as at 32 at one side of the pipe 29 and to the other arm 33 of this lever is connected a rod or chain 34 carrying at its lower end a handle 35 which may be grasped for the purpose of swinging down the arm 33 whereby to lift the valve side wall 12 of the shell and the partition 5 and another partition 40 which extends between the said sides 2, and is spaced rearwardly from the partition 5. The bottom of this chamber is indicated by the numeral 41 and leading into the chamber at the top thereof is a water supply pipe 42, through which water is allowed to flow into the chamber whereby to submerge the open lower end of the dip-pipe 38. An overflow pipe 43 leads from one side of the chamber 39 and serves to regulate the level of water within the said chamber. This side of the chamber is provided with a water tight door 44 which permits of access to the interior of the chamber for the purpose of removing any accumulated sediment or scum which may condense from the gas entering the same through the dip-pipe 38. By referring to the drawing it will be observed that the partition 40 terminates at its upper end short of the top 4 of the shell and arranged within the shell and spaced rearwardly from the partition 40 is another partition which is indicated by the numeral 45 and which extends from one to the other of the side walls 2 of the shell and from the top 4 thereof to a point spaced above the bottom. A foraminous tray 46 is arranged between the partitions 40 and 45 and the side walls 2 and upon this tray is supported a mass of coke. A spray-pipe 47 is supported at the lower end of a pipe 48 and beneath the top 4 of the shell and between the partitions 40 and 45 and serves as a means whereby water may be sprayed upon the mass of coke upon the tray 46. The pipe 48 is connected at its upper end by a union 48 with a pipe 48 which branches from the pipe 42. This arrangement of parts constitutes the scrubber of the apparatus.

The partition 45, as will be observed from inspection of the drawing is located between the partition 40 and the rear wall 3 of the shell so that between the said partitions 45 and the said rear wall is formed the condensing chamber of the apparatus, indicated at 49.

A number of perforated trays 50 are arranged one above another, in spaced relation, within the lower portion of the chamber 49 and a spray-pipe 51 is arranged within the upper end of this chamber 49 in a manner similar to the spray-pipe 47 and is fed by a water-supply pipe 52 leading from the union 48. This spray-pipe 51 as will be readily understood, serves to spray water onto the set of trays 50. An outlet pipe 53 opens through the rear wall 3 of the shell near the upper end of the condensing chamber 49, and an overflow pipe 54 opens through one side of the shell at a point immediately below the lower edge of the partition 45. This overflow pipe 54 leads to a tank 54 located beneath the water seal chamber 39 and the overflow pipe 43 is also arranged at its lower end as at 43 to discharge into this tank.

Means, not shown, is provided for supplying oil and discharging the same into the chamber 14 at such an angle as to direct the oil against the bricks in this chamber. This means should, of course, include a cutoff valve for a reason which will be fully explained in the description of the operation of the generator.

When the apparatus is to be placed in operation, a fire is kindled upon the grate 8 and coke is thrown in through the door 12 to about the level of the bottom door frame. The ash-pan door 10 is then opened to create a draft sufficient to cause ignition of the coke. During this operation the valve 30 is lifted so as to allow the waste and furnace gases to escape. As soon as the coke is burning properly, the ash-pan door is closed and air admitted under pressure into the ash-pit below the grate. Owing to the depth of the fuel and the comparatively limited amount of air to the generator the combustion of fuel is not perfect and the products of combustion passing through the carbureter and superheater contain carbon monoxid. Air is now permitted to flow into the carbureter and superheater consuming this carbon monoxid and this current of air creating an additional draft serves to cause the bricks within the superheater to become highly heated. T/Vhen all parts of the apparatus have been brought to the proper temperature the air is shut off and the stack valve 30 is dropped. Steam is then admitted through the pipe 25 beneath the grate 8 and passing up through the coke-bed is decomposed, its oxygen uniting with the carbon to form carbon monoxid, while the hydrogen is set free. The mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxid, normally called water gas, passes up between the bricks 15. The proper amount of oil is then sprayed into the carbureter and superheater chamber 14 and this oil coming in contact with the highly heated bricks is vaporized. This vaporized oil is mixed with the water gas and passes with it between the bricks at the top of the carbureter and superheater chamber. The heat from these bricks serves to convert the oil vapors into permanent oil gas which mixes with the water gas. The stack valve 30 being closed, this gas passes through the pipe 35 and cross-union 87 and down through the dippipe 38. The pressure upon the body of water in the seal causes the same to overflow through the overflow pipe 33 thereby unsealing the dip-pipe and allowing the gas to flow freely over the partition 4:0 and down into the scrubber through the body of coke therein. In passing through this body 01": coke the impurities in the gas, such for example as tar, etc., are extracted. The gas then passes under the partition 4:5 and up through the perforated trays within the condenser and finally through the outlet of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A gas generating apparatus including a shell, a partition spaced from one end of the shell to provide a generating chamber, a second partition spaced from the first to form a water seal chamber, the upper end of said second partition being spaced from the top of the shell, and a third partition spaced from the second and with its lower end spaced above the bottom of the shell to provide upon one side a scrubbing chamber and upon the other side a condensing chamber.

2. A gas generating apparatus including a shell, a vertical partition wall spaced from one end of the shell to form a generating chamber, and a pair of vertical artit-ion walls spaced from each other and rom the first wall and with their upper and lower ends alternately spaced from the top and bottom of the shell, said partition walls forming tortuously arranged water seal, scrubbing and condensing chambers in communication with each other.

8. A gas generating apparatus including a shell, a vertical partition wall spaced from one end of the shell to form a generating chamber, and a pair of vertical partition walls spaced from each other and from the first wall and with their upper and lower ends alternately spaced from the top and bottom of the shell, said partition walls forming tortuously arranged water seal, scrubbing and condensing chambers in communication with each other, a water supply pipe for maintaining a constant supply of water to the water sealed chamber, and branches leading from said pipe to provide a water spray for the scrubbing chamber and one for the condensing chamber.

4:. A gas generating apparatus including a shell and a plurality of spaced apart vertically extending partition walls forming a generating chamber and communicating water seal, scrubbing and condensing chambers, means for maintaining a constant water level in the water seal chamber, means for supplying a spray of water to the scrubbing and condensing chambers, and a dip pipe leading from the generating chamber into the water seal chamber and with its end below the water level therein.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

enonen OSTEN. 1.8.

Witnesses:

J. J. DouoLAss, A. A. WILTSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

